Roller ensilage-packer.



E. 0. MOLAUGHLIN.

ROLLER ENSILAGE PAGKER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 21, 1914.

Patented Sept. 1, 1914.

l 1. llllfi abhor/1401 THE NORRIS PETERS CO., PHOTO-LITHQ, WASHINGTON. D. C.

UNITED STATES OFFICE; 1 I

. nivrnnsoivo, MoLA UG HLI N, cartoons-Emm NEBRASKA. I i

Y noLLnaE vsrLAen-P icma i Specification of letters li atent.

' To all whom it may. concern Be it known that I, EMERSON Of Mc' I LAUGHLIN, citizen of the United .States,re

siding at Moorefield, in the county of Fromtier and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements I in Roller Ensilage-Packers, of which the following is a specification The present inventlon relates to certain new and useful lmprovements 1n ensilage Y packers for silos,'and has for its object to provide a device of thischaracter which embodies novel features of construction whereby the fodder can be quickly and thoroughly packed in the silo as it is placed therein. p A further object of the invention is to provide an 'ensilage packer which is com:

.uparatively simple: and inexpensive in its construction, which can be readily mounted within a silo, which can be easily operated either manually or by means of a small engine, and which actsin a quick and efiective manner to pack-the fodder as it is placed in thesilo. Y 1

Y With these and other objects, in view, the invention consistsin certain novel combinations and arrangements ofthe parts as will more fully appear as the description pro} ceeds, the novel features thereof being pointed out in the appended claims.

accompanying drawing, in

I a silo provided with a rolle'r'ensilage packer constructed in accordance, with the nvensilage packer, the, roof of thesilo being re- -moved. Fig. 3 is a detail view of a portion 1 .broken away and shown in section to'show more/clearly oneofithe joints between'the -tion, portions thereof being broken away and shown in section. Fig. 2 is atop 'plan view ofa silo provided with. the roller enof the sectional packer sh aft,.portion's being sections of the shaft. Fig. 4-:is a detail view the shaft.

ofone ofthe centering rollers carried by means isv provided. for holding the rollers in proper engagement with the fodder. 7

Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views Y showing a, modification 1n Wl11Cll tensioning atentedSept,;1,1914. Application in 1914. I Serial No. 839,950. i, I

Corresponding and-like parts are referred i to in the'following description and indicated mall the views of the drawing by the. same reference characters Y Referring 'to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a silo which may be of any contop of the silo is a transverse beam 2 which carriesa sprocket wheel 3. In the present instance this sprocket wheel is shown ,as arranged between the transverse beam 2 and a bracket 4 applied thereto, the hub 3 0f the sprocket wheel being journaled within cor- .respond1ng'openings inthe transverse beam 1 and brace andbeing' formed with-a polygonal opening 5 throughwhich the polygonal packer shaft 6 is passed. This; shaft 6is vertically disposed and extends centrally through the silo, the lower end of the shaft being provided withpacking rollers? which Y are adapted to act upon the fodder Ito," compress the same .withinthev silo as the shaft .6 is rotated. @Thesepackingrollers 7 .preferably have a substantiallyfrusto-conical shape and project laterally from the lower end of the main; shaft 6, the small ends of the rollers being formeds with pivot:pins"8 which engage bearings 9 projecting. laterally from the lower endof the shaft 6, while 7 the larger ends. of the rollers are formed ventionalv construction, the roof: thereof be-' mg "omitted sincejjit-hasno relationto the present invention. Extendingacross the p with pivot pins 10 which .engagefidown wardly extending arms 11 carried by brackets 12 projecting radially from the shaft.

,In order to keep the lower end ofthe main shaft 6 properly centered within the' silo 1,

arms] 13 are hprovided which are arranged between the brackets 12 and are provided at the outer ends thereof with rollers 14: adapt-- ed to engage the interior ,walls ofthe silo l. i

,As the main shaft 6 is rotated thepacking rollers 7: are, caused to act upon the fodder below the same, and as the silo'is; gradually filled with fodderthe rollers 7 j rise, the

polygonal -main shaft 6 slidinghpwardly: 3

through the sprocket wheel 3, i

v Arranged upon the exterior of the silo 1 is a shaft 15 which isjournaled within suitable bearings 16. I The upper/end of this shaft is provided with a small sprocket wheel 17 which engages a chain 18, said chain passing through suitable openings 19 in the side of the silo and also engaging the sprocket wheel 3 upon the transverse beam 2. The lower end of this shaft 15 is connected by the gearing 20 to a short shaft 21 journaled within a suitable bearing. 22 and having a crank handle 24: applied thereto.

In the operation of the device, the silo is gradually filled with fodder in the usual manner, the packing mechanism being operated so as to cause the rollers 7 to compress the fodder as it is placed in the silo. Any form of power may be utilized for driving the packing mechanism, although in the present instance the device has been shown as constructed for manual operation. By turning the crank handle '24 motion is imparted to the shaft 15 on the outside of the silo through the medium of the gearing 20, and from this shaft 15 motion is transmitted to the sprocket wheel 3 through the medium of the sprocket 17 and chain 18. The main shaft 6 is arranged to rotate with the sprocket wheel 3 as Well as to slide longitudinally through the axis thereof. As this shaft'G is rotated the packing rollers 7 at the lower end thereof are moved around upon the fodder so as to compress the same. As the fodder is placed in the silo and gradually fills the same the packing rollers 7 and shaft 6 rise, the upper end of the latter sliding freely through the sprocket wheel 3. As indicated more clearly by-Fig. 3, this shaft 6 is formed in a series 1 of short sections which are detachably con nected'by suitable joints25. Assoon as one of the short shaft sections has been moved upwardly above the'sprocket wheel 3, it is detached and removed, so that the shaft does not interfere with the roof of the silo and is gradually shortened as the packing rollers rise within the silo and the sections of the shaft are successively removed.

A modification is shown by Figs. 5 and 6, in which the hub 3? of the wheel 3 is provided at the top thereof with a pair of 0ppositely extending arms 30 and 31, the arm 30 being provided with an upstanding perforated guide'lug 30 while the arm 31 is provided with a pair of perforated upstanding guide lugs 31. A Y shaped frame 32 which straddles the shaft 6 has the end thereof inserted in the perforated guide lug 30 while the two arms thereof are in engagement with the lugs 31 A fixed roller 33 which engages one side of the shaft 6 journaled between the two arms of the frame 32, while a movable roller 34 which engages the opposite side of the shaft 6' is carried by a spindle 35 which slides within slots 36 formed in the arms .of-the frame 32. Suitable springs 87 are applied to the arms of the frame and engage the spindle" the shaft 6 serves to retard the sliding movement thereof so that the packing rollers 7 are always maintained in a gagement with the fodder. V

Having thus described the invention, what proper en- "I claim as new'and desire to secure by Let- 'ters Patent, is:

1. An ensilage packer for silos including an upright shaft arranged within the silo, means for rotating the shaft, brackets projecting from the shaft, rollers upon the brackets for engaging the silo to maintain the shaft in a centered position therein, a

second set of brackets projecting from the shaft, and packing rollers journaled between the second set of brackets and the shaft.

2'. An ensilage packer for silos including asprocket wheel formed with a polygonal "opening, means for mounting the sprocket wheel at the upper end of a silo, means for driving the sprocket wheel, a polygonal shaft extending through the'silo and slidably received within the polygonal opening of the sprocket wheel, said polygonal shaft being formed with short sections which have a detachable connection so that as the shaft moves upwardly the sections thereof above the sprocket Wheel can be removed, brackets projecting laterally from the lower end of the shaft, rollers upon the brackets for engaging the interior of the silo to hold the shaft in a properly centered position therein, a second set of brackets projectingfrom the lower end of the shaft, and packing rollers journaled between the second set of brackets and the shaft. i j

3. An ensilage packer for silos, including an upright shaft arranged within the silo,' brackets projecting from the shaft, rollers upon the brackets for engaging the silo to maintain the shaft in a centered position therein, a second set of brackets proj ecting from the shaft, packing rollers journaled between the second set of brackets and the shaft, a drive wheel having a central opening through whichthe shaft slidably passes, tensioning means upon the drive wheel for engaging the shaft, and means for operating the drive wheel.

4:. An "ensilage packer for silos,:including an upright polygonal shaft arranged within the silo, apacking roller at the lower end of the shaft, brackets projecting from the shaft, rollers upon the brackets for engaging the silo to maintain the shaft in a properly centered position therein, a drive wheel having a central polygonal opening through sition, and means for adjusting the tension which the shaft slidably passes, means for of the spring means. driving said drive wheel, a fixed roller car- In testimony whereof I aflix my signature ried by the drive wheel and engaging one in presence of two witnesses.

side of the shaft, a movable roller carried EMERSON O. MOLAUGHLIN. by the drive wheel and engaging the oppo Witnesses: Y

site side of the shaft, spring means for ETHEL NALL,

holding the movable roller in operative po- ROY E. WORLEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

